Xinjiang Cuisine · FFET10240
Cumin lamb
Lamb strips marinated with ground cumin, seared over high heat, then tossed with cumin seeds, chili, scallion and cilantro.
A round white porcelain plate holds lamb shoulder strips in glossy brown sauce, ground cumin and cumin seeds, with ginger slices, garlic cloves, chilies, scallion and cilantro, with wooden chopsticks resting beside the plate.
The regional cooking of Xinjiang, with naan, pilaf, mutton and wheat foods.
Cumin lamb is lamb cut into slices or strips and stir-fried fast over high heat with plenty of cumin (ground and whole) and chili, then tossed with scallion and cilantro. It is associated with Xinjiang cooking and spread to Hunan, Sichuan and halal restaurants across China; the Xinjiang link rests on 2 published recipes, with no specific place of origin or dated record of the dish identified.
What
Cumin lamb is lamb cut into thin slices or strips and stir-fried fast over high heat with plenty of cumin (ground and whole) and chili, then tossed with scallion and cilantro.4,5
When
Cumin is native to Central and West Asia and reached the Western Regions along the Silk Road. Some dates behind the account of over 1000 years of cultivation in Xinjiang have weak support; a 2021 column also gives an undated account of cumin first arriving from Iran along the Silk Road. These accounts concern the spice; no dated record of the stir-fry was found.2,3
Where
Cumin lamb is associated with Xinjiang cooking and later spread to Hunan, Sichuan and halal restaurants across China. Xinjiang grilled meat uses cumin and chili powder; baked buns contain lamb, onion and cumin. However, the Xinjiang link rests on 2 recipes calling it a Xinjiang dish or strongly Xinjiang-influenced; the account of grilled meat and buns omits cumin lamb, and no source names a specific county or town, leaving its origin unsettled.1,4,5
How
The 2 English-language recipes use different methods. One marinates lamb shoulder strips with ground cumin, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine for 30 minutes, dry-toasts cumin seeds and sets them aside, then sears the lamb in a hot wok. Toasted seeds, chilies, Sichuan pepper flakes, sugar, scallion and cilantro follow; cooking takes about 10 minutes. The other marinates thin lamb leg slices with five-spice powder and cooking wine for 10 to 15 minutes. Sichuan peppercorns and star anise are fried and removed, then ginger and scallion are fried before adding lamb, sugar, light soy sauce, ground cumin, cayenne and cumin seeds, followed by salt and garlic, with cilantro last.4,5
Why
Cumin masks the smell of meat and is used most with grilled beef and lamb; it is also sprinkled on lamb skewers at Xinjiang night markets. The listed sources do not explain why this stir-fry uses so much cumin, so the reason remains unclear.2,3
Impact and influence
The stir-fry has spread beyond Xinjiang to kitchens in Hunan, Sichuan and halal restaurants across China.4
No tale about this food has been found.
Grandma Li
This is a simplified home version, not the traditional restaurant method.
This is the simpler way I make it at home, not a Xinjiang cook's method. I drew on two English-language published recipes. The first is by a named food writer, and the amounts, the marinating time and the steps mostly follow it. The second comes from a recipe publisher that names no individual author; I borrowed only the ginger and garlic fried in with the lamb, and left out its five-spice powder and star anise. The ginger and garlic amounts and how I judge doneness are my own choices at home.
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulder, cut into strips 450 g
- Ground cumin (for the marinade) 1 tablespoon
- Cornstarch 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Light soy sauce 1 tablespoon
- Shaoxing wine 1 tablespoon
- Cumin seeds (for dry toasting) 2 tablespoons
- Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons
- Ginger slices 3
- Garlic cloves, smashed 2
- Chilies, cut into sections 2
- Sichuan pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon
- Sugar 1/4 teaspoon
- Scallions, cut into sections 2
- Cilantro, cut into sections a small handful
- Salt to taste, starting with a little
Steps
- Cut the lamb into strips about 1.3 cm wide and 5 cm long, the size the first recipe uses.
- Mix the lamb with the ground cumin, cornstarch, light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, and marinate for 30 minutes, the time the first recipe gives.
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry wok over medium heat until fragrant, then set them aside. I stop when I smell them and the color turns slightly darker.
- Heat the wok, add the oil, fry the ginger and garlic for a few seconds, then add the lamb and stir-fry over high heat. I cook until all the meat has changed color and the largest piece, broken open, shows no pink inside.
- Add the toasted cumin seeds, chilies, Sichuan pepper flakes and sugar, and toss to combine.
- Add the scallions and cilantro, season with salt, and toss a few times until they have just wilted. Serve with rice.
Tips
- Toasting the cumin seeds dry first is the first recipe's method, and I find the aroma stronger that way, so I do the same.
- I always cook the lamb until there is no pink inside, and I break open the thicker pieces to check.
Allergens: soy, wheat